Dishwashing tank having integral handling means

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a formed dishwasher tub or the like that includes integral, strengthening embossments situated and extending along the two top edges of the tub and with the same including integral, indented portions mediate their ends to accommodate processing hangers which suspend the dishwasher tub or the like as it proceeds through the manufacturing or process which may include the application of a coating material.

O United States Patent 1 [111 3,731,839 Long 1 May 8, 1973 54]DHSHWASHING TANK HAVING 2,656,066 10 1953 Riemenschneider ..22o 74INTEGRAL HANDLING MEANS 1,948,041 2/1934 McCowan ..220/94 A Inventor:Ola L g, Columbus Ohio 2,457,841 1/1949 Smith et al. ..22()/l.5

[73] Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Primary Examiner-AllenN. Knowles Pittsburgh, Pa. Attorney-F. H. Henson, E. C. Arenz and R. B.Farley [22] Filed: Apr. 20, 1971 [57] A ST 21 Appl. NO; 135,643

The invention provides a formed dishwasher tub or the like that includesintegral, strengthening emboss- [52] U.S. Cl ..220/74, 220/94 A memsSituated d extending along the two top edges [51] Illt. Cl. ..B65d 7/42of the b d ith the game including integral, in- [58] Field of Search..220/l.5, 74, 94 A; dented portions mediate their ends to accommodate224/45 P processing hangers which suspend the dishwasher tub or the likeas it proceeds through the manufacturing [56] References Cited orprocess which may include the application of :1

UNITED STATES PATENTS coating material- 788,055 4/1905 Mathy ..220/94 A7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented May 8, 1973 3,731,339

2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. 2

Patented May 8, 1973 3,731,839

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention:

This invention relates to a formed article which requires conveyorizingduring its manufacture and, more particularly, relates to a formeddishwasher tub or the like having integral connecting means provided forattachment to a conveyor system.

2. Description of the Prior Art:

During the manufacturing operations required for construction ofproduction dishwashers or similar appliances and during themanufacturing process of many individual generalized components, thedishwashers, appliances or generalized components require that a coatingsuch as plastisoling or enameling be provided for them. The mostefficient and therefore inexpensive method of providing such a coatingusually utilizes a conveyor system which carriesthe parts through anautomatic station for processing to provide the required coating to eachcomponent automatically or manually on a production line basis.

Thus, these components, whether they be dishwasher tubs or some othermanufactured component require some manner of attachment between themand the conveyor system which carries them through the coating station.Prior art arrangementshave utilized hanger brackets or bracket mountingholes disposed in or attached to the component, with these hangerbrackets or bracket mounting holes providing a connecting means forengagement by complementary means carried by the conveyor itself.

Since conveyorizing of the coating step for manufactured componentsreduced the overall cost of such components they have been widelyadopted. However, an added cost is built into such a component in thatat least one additional manufacturing step was required for theprovision of the aforesaid bracket mounting holes or attached hangerbrackets.

Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an integral conveyorconnecting means for a component requiring a coating which could beformed in the component during the general forming operation for it.Thus, no additional cost would be engendered in construction of thecomponent save for the additional slight tooling cost required toprovide for forming the connecting means later to be utilized forattachment to a conveyor system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a dishwasher tub whichhas integrally formed therewith a pair of embossed strengthening ribsthat extend linearly from near the front to near the rear of thedishwasher tub, the same being provided essentially at two of the upperedges of the tub. The embossed strengthening ribs each include anembossed indented portion disposed substantially medial of the length ofthe embossed ribs on each side of the dishwasher tub, with theseembossed indents later providing connecting means for utilization by aconveyor connector means so that a cooperation therebetween is achievedand the dishwasher tub may be easily and conveniently mounted to aconveyor system and the same then process coated with an enamel orplastisol to provide a corrosion resistant surface to the dishwashertub.

DRAWING DESCRIIPTION For a better understanding of the invention,reference may be had to the preferred embodiment, exemplary of theinvention, shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the dishwasher tub whichincorporates my invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the same dishwasher tub;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the invention taken on line IIIIIIof FIG. 1 showing the strengthening ribs located on each side thereof;and

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of the dishwasher tub and the conveyorconnecting means which may be utilized therewith.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The invention is provided on atub 10 of a dishwasher or the like, with this tub taking the generalconfiguration of an open ended container having a bottom and top slopingtowards the front and including a top 12, sides 14 and 16, back 18 andbottom 20. Since the tub 10 is formed to shape in its manufacturing, alledges of the tub 10 including a pair of edges 22 and 24 that extend fromthe front to the back of the tub between the top 12 and the sides 14 and16 have a radiused configuration so as to be easily formed and reducethe stress imposed on the metal in these areas during forming.

The edges 22 and 24 are interrupted between their front and rearwardends by embossed ribs 26 and 28, respectively, extendingalongsubstantially two thirds of the length of the edges 22 and 24,respectively, with these embossed ribs required to provide strengtheningand rigidity to the overall tub configuration so that it may functionsatisfactorily in a dishwasher configuration. Each of the ribs 26 and 28are struck out, during the forming operation, from the metal skinforming the tub 10 so as to be integral therewith and yet provide anoffset of material relative to the remainder of the edges 22 and 24 toeffectively increase the cross sectional strength of the metal skin ofthe tub 10.

The ribs 26 and 28, in cross-section, take the general form of afilleted radius having long legs 30 and short legs 32 joined together bya rounded, curved portion 34 so that the strengthening ribs 26, 28 maybe easily formed without undue stretching of the metal skin and also donot give rise to undue stress concentrations within them (FIG. 3) and sothat the overall configuration of each of the embossed ribs 26 and 28 isfairly streamlined. The cross sectional shape of each of thestrengthening ribs 26, 26 is completed by two offset portions 31, 33which, join the legs 30 and 32 to the tub 10, proper, and place theselegs outwardly disposed relative to the general surface of tub 10. Theoverall configuration of the strengthening ribs 26, 28 is completed byfront and rear offset ends 35 and 37 which are continuations of offsetportions 31 and 33 and merge in streamline curved fashion with them.

Intermediate the forward and rearward terminations of each of theembossed ribs 26 and 28 and located es- FIGS. 1 to 3, the embossedindent 36 is offset inwardly generally, relative to each of therespective strengthening ribs 26 or 2% in which it is disposed so thatan inwardly disposed reception means is provided for the connectingmeans which attaches the dishwasher tub to a conveyor system, and so theopening for attachment to the conveyor connecting means is generallyshaped like a C in elevational view with the open part of the C facingdownwardly.

In order to provide an area of flow for the metal skin of tub l0, movedfrom within the embossed indent 36, the wall of the ribs 26 and 28immediately above their respective indents is bulged outwardly in boththe vertical (FIG. 3) and horizontal direction (FIG. 2) to provide adomed, bulbous portion 38 that smoothly merges with the remainder of theribs 26 or 28 of which it is a part. Each of the bulbous portions 38also provide the additional function of heightening the depth of theirrespective embossed indent 36 so as to increase the ability of theembossed indents to receive the cooperative connecting means of aconveyor system.

The cooperation between the dishwasher tub 10 and the connecting meansfor a conveyor system can be easily seen in FIG. 4, wherein a pair ofhook means 40 and 42 are seen to depend downwardly from a conveyorarrangement shown fragmentarily at 44 so that the downwardly dependingends 46 and 48 of the hook means may be received within the embossedindents 36 to provide an easily attachable and detachable means so thatthe dishwasher tub 10 may be carried by the conveyor arrangement 44 fora coating or similar process.

It should be clear from the foregoing description that the describedinvention provides all the advantages set out for it in the beginningportion of the specification and, further, that many modifications bemade to the invention which still fall within its spirit and scope.

What is claimed is:

l. A formed dishwasher container including:

a. a pair of strengthening ribs disposed to extend substantially fromfront to back along the upper two edges of the container;

b. said elongated strengthening ribs having a crosssection, generally ofa filleted radius;

c. a formed indent provided in each of said strengthening ribs;

d. said formed indent being disposed below a portion of said elongatedstrengthening rib and providing for connection of said formed containerto a conveyor means; and

e. said portion of said elongated strengthening rib above said formedindent is domed outwardly from the remainder of said strengthening rib.

2. The formed dishwasher container of claim 1 wherein:

a. said portion of said elongated strengthening rib above said formedindent is domed outwardly from the remainder of said strengthening rib.

3. The formed dishwasher container of claim 1 wherein:

a. said formed indent forms a C-shape opening downwardly.

4. The formed dishwasher container of claim 1 wherein:

a. said elongated strengthening r1bs include offset portions that placesaid filleted radius shape outwardly from the general surface of saidformed container.

5. A formed metal dishwasher tub adapted during manufacture to becarried by a conveyor through a station in which said tub is coated:

said tub including front, bottom, side and rear walls and an open frontface;

a pair of opposite ones of said walls each includes indent means formedin the metal forming said walls at a location directly opposite eachother across said tub and closely adjacent the edges formed between saidpair of opposite walls and the intervening wall;

said indent means forming seats for the clamping hooks of said conveyorsystem.

6. A formed tub according to claim 5 wherein:

each of said edges includes metal stretched outwardly from the generalline of said edge to form a cowl-shaped configuration disposed in hoodedrelation to said indent means. 7. A dishwasher tub according to claim 6wherein: each of said edges includes strengthening ribs formed by metalstretched outwardly from the general line of said edge, saidstrengthening ribs extending along said edges for the major portion oftheir length, and including said indent means and said cowl-shapedconfiguration at an inter-mediate point along said length.

1. A formed dishwasher container including: a. a pair of strengtheningribs disposed to extend substantially from front to back along the uppertwo edges of the container; b. said elongated strengthening ribs havinga cross-section, generally of a filleted radius; c. a formed indentprovided in each of said strengthening ribs; d. said formed indent beingdisposed below a portion of said elongated strengthening rib andproviding for connection of said formed container to a conveyor means;and e. said portion of said elongated strengthening rib above saidformed indent is domed outwardly from the remainder of saidstrengthening rib.
 2. The formed dishwasher container of claim 1wherein: a. said portion of said elongated strengthening rib above saidformed indent is domed outwardly from the remainder of saidstrengthening rib.
 3. The formed dishwasher container of claim 1wherein: a. said formed indent forms a C-shape opening downwardly. 4.The formed dishwasher container of claim 1 wherein: a. said elongatedstrengthening ribs include offset portions that place said filletedradius shape outwardly from the general surface of said formedcontainer.
 5. A formed metal dishwasher tub adapted during manufactureto be carried by a conveyor through a station in which said tub iscoated: said tub including front, bottom, side and rear walls and anopen front face; a pair of opposite ones of said walls each includesindent means formed in the metal forming said walls at a locationdirectly opposite each other across said tub and closely adjacent theedges formed between said pair of opposite walls and the interveningwall; said indent means forming seats for the clamping hooks of saidconveyor system.
 6. A formed tub according to claim 5 wherein: each ofsaid edges includes metal stretched outwardly from the general line ofsaid edge to form a cowl-shaped configuration disposed in hoodedrelation to said indent means.
 7. A dishwasher tub according to claim 6wherein: each of said edges includes strengthening ribs formed by metalstretched outwardly from the general line of said edge, saidstrengthening ribs extending along said edges for the major portion oftheir length, and including said indent means and said cowl-shapedconfiguration at an inter-mediate point along said length.